Fall Out Boy — American rock band from Chicago Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy is an American rock band formed in Chicago; known for blending pop-punk, emo and alternative rock into mainstream hits from the early 2000s onward.
Fall to Pieces (song) Fall to Pieces A ballad by Avril Lavigne from her second album Under My Skin; written and produced with Raine Maida. Released as the final single from the album, it received mixed reception and h…
Falling in Reverse Falling in Reverse is an American rock band from Las Vegas, led by Ronnie Radke. They mix post-hardcore, metalcore, pop and hip-hop elements across several albums and a changing li…
Falsetto: the high, 'false' vocal register in singing and speech Falsetto Falsetto is a high vocal register produced when the vocal folds vibrate more thinly and incompletely. It is used in singing, acting and voice work and differs in timbre and techniq…
Falstaff (Verdi opera) Falstaff (opera) Falstaff is Giuseppe Verdi's final opera, a three-act Italian comic work with a libretto by Arrigo Boito, premiered in Milan in 1893 and celebrated for its ensemble writing and wit…
Fame (David Bowie song) “Fame” is a 1975 funk-rock single by David Bowie, co-written with John Lennon. Released on Young Americans, it reached No. 1 on the US Billboard chart and is known for its stark ri…
Family Four (Swedish vocal group) Family Four Family Four was a Swedish four-member vocal group known for close harmonies and for representing Sweden at Eurovision in 1971 and 1972 with 'Vita vidder' and 'Härliga sommardag'.
Fanfare A fanfare is a brief, ceremonial musical flourish—traditionally for brass and percussion—used to announce arrivals, mark ceremonies, or add publicity; it also denotes media or publ…
Fanfare for the Common Man A short, iconic brass-and-percussion work by Aaron Copland (1942) evoking wartime ideals. Widely performed, adapted, and used in public ceremonies, broadcasts, and popular recordin…
FanMail (TLC album) FanMail FanMail is the third studio album by American group TLC, released in 1999. Noted for its futuristic artwork and blend of R&B, hip hop and electronic sounds, it produced major singl…
Fantaisie-Impromptu (Chopin) Fantaisie-Impromptu A concise encyclopedic overview of Frédéric Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu: musical features, form, history of publication, performance considerations, and its place in pianistic rep…
Fantasia (music): an improvisatory, free-form composition Fantasia (music) A fantasia is a musical work that imitates improvisation. Free in structure and expressive in character, it appears for lute, keyboard, voice and orchestra from the Renaissance to…
Far East Movement American electro-hop group from Los Angeles known for blending hip hop and electronic dance music; formed in 2003 and best known for the global hit "Like a G6".
Fastball (American rock band) Fastball Fastball is an American rock trio from Austin, Texas, known for 1990s melodic alternative rock and hit singles such as "The Way" and "Out of My Head."
Fat (Weird Al Yankovic song) Fat (song) 1988 parody by "Weird Al" Yankovic of Michael Jackson's "Bad", released on the album Even Worse; notable for its shot-for-shot video spoof, exaggerated depiction of obesity, and pl…
Fate (Osud): Opera by Leoš Janáček Fate (opera) Osud (Fate) is an early 20th‑century opera by Czech composer Leoš Janáček. Composed around 1903–1905, it pairs an episodic, formal libretto with intense, modern music and explores…
Faust (Gounod) — 19th-century French opera in five acts Faust (opera) Charles Gounod's Faust is a five-act French opera (1859) based on Goethe via a stage play. Famous for its melodies, choral scenes and the 'Jewel Song,' it was one of the 19th centu…
Faxing Berlin (song) — deadmau5 progressive house track Faxing Berlin Overview and context for "Faxing Berlin," a progressive house single by Canadian producer deadmau5, its musical traits, album placement, controversy over a bundled FL Studio sample…
Fear (John Cale album) Fear (album) Fear is John Cale's fourth solo album, released on Island Records in October 1974. It blends guitar- and piano-driven rock with avant-garde textures and is seen as a transitional,…
Fear of the Dark (Iron Maiden album) Fear of the Dark is Iron Maiden's ninth studio album, released 11 May 1992. It topped the UK chart, mixed critical reception, and features the enduring title track that became a co…
Fecal Matter (band) Short-lived punk rock project formed in Aberdeen in 1985 by Kurt Cobain and Dale Crover. Its informal demo cassette 'Illiteracy Will Prevail' circulated locally and influenced earl…
Feelin' So Good (Jennifer Lopez song) Feelin' So Good A mid-tempo pop–R&B single by Jennifer Lopez featuring rappers Fat Joe and Big Pun, from her debut album On the 6; an upbeat crossover track celebrating confidence and good times.
Feeling Good (song) Feeling Good A popular song written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for a 1964 musical, widely recorded and reinterpreted across jazz, pop and rock with notable versions by Nina Simone, M…
Felix Mendelssohn — German Romantic-era Composer and Conductor Felix Mendelssohn German composer Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) was a child prodigy, conductor, and educator whose works include the Violin Concerto, the Wedding March and the oratorio Elijah.
Fell on Black Days — Soundgarden song Fell on Black Days 1994 single by Soundgarden from Superunknown, written by Chris Cornell. An introspective alternative-rock track that reached No. 4 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and appears…
Fender Jazz Bass Iconic offset-body electric bass introduced by Fender in 1960, noted for its two single-coil pickups, narrower neck, bright tone, and wide influence across jazz, rock, funk and stu…
Fender Precision Bass The Fender Precision Bass (P-Bass) is a landmark solid-body electric bass introduced by Fender in 1951, influential in popular music for its tone, playability, and role in shaping…
Fender Stratocaster: design, history, variants, and influence Fender Stratocaster Overview of the Fender Stratocaster: its design features, development, manufacturing variations, notable players, common modifications and cultural legacy in modern music.
Ferde Grofé: American composer and arranger (1892–1972) Ferde Grofé American composer and arranger Ferde Grofé (1892–1972) wrote the Grand Canyon Suite and orchestrated Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, shaping the blend of jazz and symphonic music in e…
Festival Song — Good Charlotte single inspired by the HFStival Festival Song Overview of "Festival Song," a 2001 single by Good Charlotte from their debut album, its HFStival inspiration, themes of youthful ambition, and its role in the band's early pop-pun…
Fiction Records Fiction Records is a British record label founded in 1976, best known for launching and supporting The Cure and later relaunching as a Polydor imprint; influential in alternative a…
Fiddle: the folk violin — form, history, tunings, and cultural role Fiddle A clear, concise overview of the fiddle: its construction, tunings and bowing, historical development from early fiddles to modern folk styles, and its social and musical uses.
Fidelio: Beethoven’s only opera — overview, music, history and legacy Fidelio Fidelio is Ludwig van Beethoven’s only opera, a two-act rescue drama about Leonore’s disguise and the rescue of her husband. It evolved through revisions and remains a symbol of fr…
Fife and Drum Blues A traditional rural American blues form led by a fife and a percussion ensemble, rooted in African and military influences and associated with North Mississippi community music.
Fifteen (song) “Fifteen” is a country‑pop coming‑of‑age song written and recorded by Taylor Swift about high‑school friendship and first heartbreak, originally on her album Fearless and later re‑…
The 5th Dimension (American vocal group) Fifth Dimension American pop-soul vocal group formed in mid-1960s Los Angeles, known for polished harmonies and hits such as “Up, Up and Away” and the medley “Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In.”
Fifth Harmony American girl group formed on The X Factor (US) in 2012. Known for pop and R&B singles, two studio albums, lineup changes, and members' subsequent solo careers and hiatus from 2018…
Fighting Temptation (2003 song) Fighting Temptation 2003 R&B/hip-hop collaboration by Beyoncé with Missy Elliott, MC Lyte and Free for The Fighting Temptations soundtrack; modest U.S. impact, reached top 20 in parts of Europe.
Fill (music) — short instrumental passages in popular music Fill (music) A fill is a brief instrumental passage used between vocal or melodic lines to ornament, connect, or punctuate a song; distinct from a full solo and common across many popular genre…
Filthy (song) — Justin Timberlake Filthy (song) “Filthy” is the lead single from Justin Timberlake’s fifth album, released Jan 5, 2018. The track blends R&B and electronic production, accompanied by a high‑concept video and live…
Fine Young Cannibals English pop/soul trio best known for late-1980s hits blending soul, pop and electronic production, notably the single “She Drives Me Crazy.”
Finesse (song) “Finesse” is a 2016 song from Bruno Mars's 24K Magic era; a 2018 remix featuring Cardi B revived its 1990s new jack swing look and helped it become a commercial and cultural hit.
Finger Eleven Canadian rock band from Burlington, Ontario, formed in 1989; known for guitar-driven alternative rock and the mainstream hit “Paralyzer.” Overview, history, style, and notable fact…
Fingerboard (fretboard): part, types, history and use on stringed instruments Fingerboard Explanatory article on the fingerboard (or fretboard): its structure, materials, fretted vs fretless types, history, uses for playing and teaching, and basic care and adjustments.
Fingering (musical technique) Fingering Fingering is the choice of fingers used to play notes on an instrument. It shapes accuracy, speed, phrasing and ergonomics and varies by instrument, anatomy and musical context.
Fingerpicking (plucked-string technique) Fingerpicking Fingerpicking is a method of playing plucked-string instruments using individual fingers or finger tools to produce independent bass, harmony and melody lines with varied tone and…
Finlandia (Symphonic Poem) by Jean Sibelius Finlandia (Symphonic Poem) Finlandia is a patriotic symphonic poem by Jean Sibelius (Op. 26), written in 1899. Its turbulent orchestral episodes and serene hymn tune made it an enduring national symbol and a…
Finntroll — Finnish folk metal band blending humppa and extreme metal Finntroll Finntroll is a Finnish folk metal band known for combining humppa (Finnish polka) rhythms with extreme metal textures and for singing in Swedish to evoke trollish folklore.
